The Y-D Red Sox carried out a thrilling walk-off win, 4-3 over the Orleans Firebirds on Tuesday evening at Red Wilson Field. With two runners on and two outs in the ninth, Ryan Sprock (Elon) hit the game-tying single and Carter Garate (Oregon) followed with a walk-off bunt to seal the win for Y-D.
Y-D came out ready to score in the first inning as Michael Ball (Nevada) was able to reach on a fielding error, quickly beating out the throw to first base. With one on and two outs, Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine) crushed a two-run homer to put Y-D up and on the board by the end of the first inning. Martinez, who has one or more hits in the past eight consecutive games, ranks second on the team in on-base percentage (.392) and is tied for fourth with three home runs.
Callan Fang started on the mound for Orleans and threw five innings for the Firebirds. As the league strikeout leader, he amassed six strikeouts and held Y-D to one hit and two runs. In addition to his 39 strikeouts, he also leads the league in walks plus hits per innings pitched (0.82).
Carson Ballard made his fourth start on the mound for Y-D. The right-handed pitcher out of Georgia State threw for 4 1/3 innings and collected four strikeouts from Orleans. He held them scoreless until the top of the fifth when the Firebirds began to light up the bats and put together a three-run inning.
Orleans picked up two hits early on with a double from Ben Zeigler-Namoa and a single from Hudson Shupe. Working off two walks in the fifth on offense, Shupe recorded his second hit of the day, singling to left field, and pushed the runners on base into scoring position. With two more walks and an RBI single from Ian Daugherty, the Firebirds pulled ahead, 3-2, and took the lead from Y-D.
Caleb Anderson of Wichita State pitched relief for Y-D. The right-hander threw 3 2/3 innings and brought in four strikeouts. He also gave up no runs and just one hit to the Firebirds, keeping the middle innings scoreless.
The sixth and seventh brought some fire back to the plate for Y-D with an infield single from Ball and a hit up the middle from Ethan Petry (South Carolina). Easton Carmichael (Oklahoma) then hit his eighth double of the season in the bottom of the seventh, placing him in a tie for third in the league for doubles.
Northeastern’s Aiven Cabral came in and shut down the Firebirds’ offense in the top of the ninth for Y-D. With one out and no one on, he faced only two batters, notching back-to-back strikeouts on them. The closer picked up his fifth win of the season as he continues to lead the league in wins for another consecutive week.
Down by one in the bottom of the ninth, Y-D rallied and put together the ultimate comeback. Petry and Martinez both walked, putting two on and initiating a mound visit for Orleans. With two outs, two strikes on him and a new pitcher on the mound for the Firebirds, Sprock came in to pinch hit and crushed the game-tying hit to the right-center gap.
Garate then stepped to the plate right after and executed an outstanding walk-off bunt up the first base side to clinch the win for Y-D. The Y-D dugout and bullpen cleared as all of the players ran out and celebrated around him on the field.
With Monday’s win, the Y-D Red Sox improve to 22-10-4 on the season. Y-D manager Scott Pickler also secured his 599th career win, just one away from reaching an impressive 600 wins. On Thursday, Y-D will be back on the field to take on Harwich at Whitehouse Field as the Mariners fight to secure a playoff spot.
Photo by Sophie Solarino
